Blade length indicator



Dec. 23, 1969 R. L.. PERRY BLADE LENGTH INDICATOR Filed April 26, 1967 HQ 4' PEG 5 FIG 3 United States Patent Office U.S. Cl. 30-401 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reel type razor blade cartridge includes a blade takeup arbor secured to its base member for advancing shaving lengths of the blade through a shaving position, and a tape take-up arbor mounted on its cover member and positioned coaxially on the blade take-up arbor to be driven thereby. A water resistant tape bearing a series of numbers for indicating the number of blade lengths used is attached to the tape arbor and supported for movement past a window by two spaced tape support surfaces. The two surfaces position and guide the tape as it moves past the window and the tape is placed on those surfaces by forcing it through the gap between the two surfaces.

This invention relates to blade length counting in reel .type razors in whicha continuous blade is from time to time advanced to bring successive lengths of the blade into shaving position.

Objects of the invention include providing for improved convenientvisual display of a numeral or other mark indicating the number of lengths of blade used or remaining to be brought into shaving position, at minimum cost, and without requiring direct marking of the blade.

lengths, a tape take-up structure mounted to rotate when Z the blade take-up structure rotates, and a window structure in said cartridge wall for individual visual display of the series of indicia. The tape is positioned in said cartridge to follow a path from a tape supply position through a display position at the window structure to the tape takeup structure, and the series of indicia are spaced along the tape so that as each shaving length of blade is advanced to shaving position, the indicium corresponding thereto is advanced to the display position at the window structure.

A particular embodiment features blade and indicia tape take-up reels mounted to rotate through equal central angles during the advance of a new shaving length to the shaving position; a tape supply in a roll mounted on an axis directionally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tape take-up reel; a support surface adjacent the window structure to position the tape therein, the support surface being provided by two support members that extend partially across the window from its opposite sides and are spaced from each other and from the top and bottom boundaries of the window; and a removable cartridge cover that carries the tape take-up reel and positions the tape take-up reel to engage the. blade take-up reel when the cover is assembled to the cartridge back so that the blade take-up reel drives the tape take-up reel.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be seen as the following description of a specific 3,484,939 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 embodiment thereof progresses, in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG} 1 is a view of a band type blade cartridge constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG 3 is an enlargement of a portion of the cartridge shown in FIG. 1, showing the window structure and, in dotted lines, portions of the interior structure;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the structure shown in FIG. 3 with the back of the cartridge removed to show the tape and its associated elements.

Blade cartridge 10 is of the general type disclosed in US. Patent 3,262,198, and has a base wall structure 12 on the inside of which are defined a blade supply position 14 and a blade take-up position 16. Blade 18 follows a path from supply position 14 over support platform 20 to takeup position 16, and as the blade advances along the path a series of shaving lengths 18a are successively brought into shaving position on platform 20. Arbor 22, to which the end of blade 18 is attached, is rotatably mounted at takeup position 16 and includes recess 24, which is engaged by a blade advancing mechanism attached to the cartridge holder and not shown here. Rotation of arbor 22 advances a new shaving length 18a into shaving position.

Cartridge cover structure 30 snaps over the front of and is secured on base wall structure 12. Defined on the inside of its front wall 32 are a tape supply position 34 and take-up position 36. The tape supply position includes two juxtaposed support pins 38, 40 on which a coil of tape 50 is positioned. Window structure 42 is provided in wall 32 between the supply and take-up positions 34, 36. Tape locating surface members 44, 46 disposed beneath the window aperture, each having a rounded front surface 48, extend partially across the window from opposite sides thereof, leaving space between them as well as above and below. Take-up reel 52 is mounted at take-up position 36 below window 42 and includes stub shaft 54 which is received in recess 56 in cover 30, and drive shaft 58,

the rear end of which engages arbor 22 when the cover is in place so that the blade and tape take-up reels are driven together. In modified structures it will be apparent that the blade and tape take-up reels may be a unitary structure.

7 Water resistant tape 50 follows a path from supply position 34 across window 42 in front of members 44, 46 to the take-up reel 36. The tape is positioned at window aperture 42 by forcing the tape, as with a blunt instrument, through the gap between members 44, 46 while the cover is removed from the back of the cartridge so that the margins of the tape are received in the spaces between the front surfaces 48 of guide members 44, 46 and the rear of window 42. The dimensions of tape .50 and the spaces between members 44, 46 are proportioned to produce sealing cooperation with the rear surfaces of window structure 42 that excludes substantially all contaminants from entering the interior of the cartridge through that aperture. Because the axes of the tape coil in supply position 34 and reel 52 in take-up position 36 are directionally perpendicular to each other the tape is twisted after passing across window 42. Numerals 60 are spaced along tape. 50 so that as each successive blade length 18a is advanced to the shaving position on platform 20, the numeral reflective of the number of unused lengths 18a remaining on the blade will appear in window 42.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, various modifications thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art and therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment or to details thereof and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scopeof the invention. I

What is claimed is:

1. In a reel type razor in which successive shaving lengths; of a continuous ribbon-like blade are sequentially advanced from a supply position through a shaving position to a rotatably mounted take-up reel, a visual display blade shaving length indicating mechanism com prising a tape take-up reel connected to said blade take-up reel to rotate when said blade take-up reel rotates, an elongated water resistant tape connected to said tape take-up reel, said tape bearing a series of indicia respectively corresponding to said shaving lengths, and window structure in said cartridge wall defining a display position for individual visual display of said seriesof indicia, said tape being positioned in said cartridge to follow a path from a tape supply position through a display position at said Window structure to said tape take-up reel, and said series of indicia being spaced along said tape so that as each shaving length of blade is advanced to said shaving posiiton, the indicium corresponding thereto is advanced by said take-up reel to said display position.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said blade and tape take-up reels are mounted to rotate through equal angles during the advance of a new shaving length o said blade to said shaving position.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said tape in said tape supply position is in a roll supported on an axis directio-ially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said tape tal e-up reel, and said tape supply position is located within said blade supply position.

4. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein a support surface is provided adjacent said window structure to position said tape therein, said support surface extending partially across said window structure and being spaced from the top and bottom boundaries of the window aperture.

5. In a reel type razor blade cartridge in which successive shaving lengths of a continuous ribbon-like blade are sequentially advanced from a supply position through a shaving position to a rotatably mounted take-up structure, a visual display blade shaving length indicating mechanism comprising a tape take-up structure connected to said blade take-up structure to rotate when said blade take-up structure rotates, an elongated water resistant tape connected to said tape take-up reel, said tape bearing a series of indicia respectively corresponding to said shaving lengths, and a Window structure in said cartridge wall defining a display position for individual visual display of said series of indicia, said Window structure including two support members, each of which extends" partially across the window aperture from opposite sides and are spaced from one another and from the top and bottom boundaries of said window aperture, said tape being positioned in said cartridge to follow a path from a. tape supply position through a display position at said window structure to said tape takeup structure, and said series of indicia being spaced along said tape so that as each shaving length of blade is advanced to said shaving position, the indicium corresponding thereto is advanced by said take-up structure to said display position.

6. In a reel type razor blade cartridge in which successive lengths of a continuous ribbon-like blade are sequentially advanced from a supply position through a shaving position to a rotatably mounted take-u reel mounLed on a first interior wall of said cartridge, a visual display blade shaving length indicating mechanism comprising a tape take-up reel mounted on a second interior wall of said cartridge opposite said first wall in position to engage said blade take-up reel and to be rotatably driven thereby, an elongated Water resistant tape connected to said tape take-up reel, said tape bearing a series of indicia respectively corresponding to said shaving lengths, a window structure on said second cartridge wall defining a display position for individual visual display of said series of indicia, and structure on said second wall defining a tape supply position, said tape being positioned in said cartridge to follow a path from said tape supply position through a display position at said window structure to said tape take-up reel, said series of indicia being spaced along said tape so that as each shaving length of blade is advanced to said shaving position, the indicium corresponding thereto is advanced by said take-up reel to said display position, and said tape take-up reel being removable with said second wall from said cartridge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,860,215 11/1958 Williams.

3,083,487 4/1963 Hagood l16135 X 3,262,198 7/1966 Nissen 30346.5 3,348,306 10/1967 Hammons 3040.1 3,364,570 1/1968 Perry 3040.1 X

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner DANIEL M. YASICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 116133 

